A better-organized centre console design in the next-generation Civic will fix many of the current model’s ergonomic woes

Canadians are buying compact crossovers in record numbers, so much so that industry wonks are projecting small crossovers will become the industry’s number one segment sooner rather than later. Until that day, though, compact cars still rule in the showrooms – and the king of compacts remains the Honda Civic.

In 2014, for the 17th year in succession, the Civic was the best selling passenger car in this country by a wide margin over the runner-up Hyundai Elantra and third-place Toyota Corolla. That said, as recently as four years ago when the current generation of Civic was launched, the Elantra threatened the Honda’s top spot.

The Touring is the top-rung Civic trim, save for the high-perofmance Si.John LeBlanc /
Driving

Since then, however, the Japanese automaker has primped and preened its baby jewel. With an all-new generation of Civic slated for 2016, I got a chance to test-drive the topline 2015 Civic Sedan Touring to see if Honda’s compact still deserves to be so popular.

While you’ll see base 2015 Civic four-doors advertised for as low as $17,219 (all prices include freight and pre-delivery inspection fees), the luxury-laden Touring rings in at $27,109, one rung down from the high-performance $28,419 Civic Si.

As far as I can tell, the Touring trim is here to assuage two types of buyers: Civic fans who can’t be bothered ticking off option boxes, and penny-conscious consumers who think it’s nuts to pay thousands more for a small sedan with a luxury badge, like the Acura ILX or even the Mercedes-Benz CLA. As such, the Touring is an all-inclusive package, jammed with luxury goodies that had one of my neighbours ask, “Really? You can get ALL that on a Civic?”

Yes, the Civic Sedan Touring comes with such niceties as leather seating, a moonroof, an upgraded sound system and a touchscreen infotainment system with navigation. You’ll even find “big car” safety gear in the Civic Touring, like Honda’s LaneWatch blind spot display, a passenger-side mirror-mounted camera displays what’s to the right and back of the car, as well as a multi-angle backup camera. If the $27,000 price tag for a Civic makes you gasp, know that top-rung versions of the Elantra and Corolla are $26,794 and $25,955, respectively.

Helping to justify the Civic Touring’s price tag is its well-appointed interior. Honda took a lot of well-deserved heat for the cheap-feeling cabin when this generation of Civic debuted in 2012. But in short order, Honda has tweaked the interior to the point where the build quality and expanded use of soft-touch materials in my Touring tester is now equal or better than the interiors of premium small cars, like the Mini Cooper and even the Mercedes-Benz CLA.

Where the fancy-pants Civic feels less premium is under its front hood. Like all non-Si Civics, the Touring gets a ho-hum 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine. It’s rated at 143 horsepower and 129 lb.-ft. of torque — competitive with the Corolla LE, but well below the Elantra Limited’s 173 horsepower and 154 lb.-ft. numbers.

Powered by a 1.8-litre four-cylinder, the Civic Touring matches the Corolla LE for power, but falls short of the Elantra Limited.John LeBlanc /
Driving

While you can get a manual gearbox in other Civic trim lines, the Touring relegates buyers to a continuously variable transmission. Honda’s added some fake gear ratios in the CVT to make it feel more natural, but it doesn’t make the Honda any quicker. Zero-to-100 km/h takes all of 9.3 seconds— a full second behind the Hyundai. Plus, rated at 7.9 L/100 km cities and 6.1 highway (I saw an indicated 7.8 in my week with the Honda), the Civic Touring is also estimated to be less efficient than the Elantra Limited on the highway and the Corolla LE.

To some degree, the Honda’s lack of performance is a good match to its conservative suspension setup. The Civic Touring’s ride quality ride is nicely controlled without being too hard, making the small four-door feel tight, and luxurious. The car also allows little road and engine noise into its cabin, which adds to its premium car feeling too. The Mazda3 or Ford Focus are more fun to drive with their communicative steering, but the Honda does a better job as a mini-luxury car than the less sophisticated and refined Toyota and Hyundai compacts. And really, for those looking for more vim and vigour in their compact, there’s always the Civic Si.

While the Civic Touring offers plenty of kit, is well-made, and is quiet and comfortable, there are still a few nits to pick. As is the case with almost any recent Honda and Acura vehicle, the bi-level centre console design with two displays seems like an afterthought. Although comfy, the Civic’s front seats feel more like La-Z-Boys than supportive Recaros and with only 354 litres of trunk space, both the Elantra and Corolla offer more.

Since its introduction in 2012, the latest Honda Civic has stepped up its interior quality game significantly.John LeBlanc /
Driving

Still, as someone who constantly gets asked, “What small car should I buy?” the Civic sedan — in whatever trim line and despite an all-new version on the way — is easy to recommend. For many buyers, the Civic is just the right size and price. Plus there’s Honda’s solid reputation for dependability and durability that equals excellent resale value. Even in fancy Touring guise, the 2015 Honda Civic doesn’t hit it out of the park in any specific category. It’s easy to find rivals that are faster, roomier, sip less fuel and are more fun to drive, but for many Canadians each year, Honda’s compact car formula seems to be enough.